OCR LEVEL 3 CAMBRIDGE TECHNICALCERTIFICATE/DIPLOMA IN

PERFORMING ARTS

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN PERFORMING ARTSA/505/1077

LEVEL 3 UNIT 1

GUIDED LEARNING HOURS: 60

UNIT CREDIT VALUE: 10

TECHNICALSCambridge

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skills development in performing arts a/505/1077

level 3 Unit 1

aim of Unit The development of skills is a lifelong process and one that has benefits for both emerging artists and established professionals. This unit will give the learner the framework that will stay with them for their entire career, providing attitudes, structures and a base from which to build firm foundations. In the changing and dynamic working environment that is the Performing Arts industry, professionals need to keep up a process of CPD (Continuing Professional Development), they also need to plan and adapt quickly to take advantage of changing markets for their skills and techniques. They need to be clear about the level of these skills and where they need to take new skills on. This unit will equip learners for this environment; they will work to develop their practice and explore new skills in their specialist art form or technical area. They will produce a skills development plan and keep a record of their work as it progresses, and they will practice honest self-assessment and be able to place themselves in the right position for employment and further training opportunities.

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Skills Development in Performing Arts Level 3 Unit 1

assessment and grading Criteria

learning outcome (lo)

The learner will:

pass

The assessment criteria are the pass requirements for this unit.

The learner can:

merit

To achieve a merit the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass criteria, the learner is able to:

distinction

To achieve a distinction the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, the learner is able to:

1 produce a skills development plan

p1 make audits of their existing skills

p2 produce targets for skills development

2 develop existing and new skills

p3 explore given opportunities for skills development

m1 explore a range of opportunities for skills development

d1 explore a comprehensive range of opportunities for skills development

p4 demonstrate some development of existing and new skills

m2 demonstrate a clear extension of existing skills and a development of new skills

d2 demonstrate a fluent integration of extended existing skills with a set of new skills

3 evaluate skills development

p5 monitor progress with some use of technical terminology

m3 monitor progress with competent use of technical terminology

d3 monitor progress with fluent use of technical terminology

p6 make basic adjustments to plan in response to monitoring and feedback

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teaChing ContentThe unit content describes what has to be taught to ensure that learners are able to access the highest grade.

Anything which follows an i.e. details what must be taught as part of that area of content.

Anything which follows an e.g. is illustrative, it should be noted that where e.g. is used, learners must know and be able to apply relevant examples to their work though those do not need to be the same ones specified in the unit content.

The unit is designed to be flexible and tailored to the needs of the learner and centre. It could be the vehicle for the acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding that underpins the work in other units or it could be a relatively intense programme of a specific skill development. This balance can be negotiated to provide maximum benefit and ownership on the part of the learner. The throughline on which the evidence hangs is the skills development plan which forms a reflective reference point for the journey.

produce a skills development plan

• Skills audits and baseline assessments. Action plans and targets, development needs analysis. Recognition of short, medium and long term goals. Setting milestone reviews and plans for monitoring.

• Useful documents, e.g. charts, spreadsheets, timelines of skills development.

• Recognition of physical, emotional and psychological limits and boundaries to development.

• Integration of skills development into possible career, training and vocational routes.

• Identifying the range of additional developmental opportunities, eg outside classes, grade exams and work experience.

develop existing and new skills

• Provision of skills, techniques and technical classes and workshops relating to chosen artform.

• Opportunities for intense skills development through performances and work placements.

• The importance and regularity of practice. Exploration of exemplar material and repertoire, work with professionals.

• Use of technical terminology.

• Knowledge of place and context of artform in performing arts industry.

• Exploration of other development opportunities for learners to explore, e.g. the range of classes that exist locally, Youth Theatres, dance schools, peripatetic music tuition.

• The importance of group and ensemble work in the development of skills. Integrating existing skills with new skills.

evaluate skills development

• Use of logs and recordings in skills development.

• Monitoring, recognition of strengths and weaknesses of skills and in plan, projecting forward.

• Taking advice and feedback, reflecting back and making adjustments to plan.

• Documenting of sessions, repertoire and new work encountered, discussions with professionals.

• Use and understanding of technical performing arts terminology relating to art-form and production area.

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Skills Development in Performing Arts Level 3 Unit 1

delivery gUidanCe

produce a skills development plan

Learners will need to take stock of their existing skills early on in the course. This needs to be honest and comprehensive and could involve a wide range of methodologies including induction classes to test skills, audits, baseline assessments in practical areas, table-top explorations of past achievements, successes and failures, competency tests on technical equipment, interviews and CVs. The development and monitoring needs a firm foundation and this stage should provide for clear reference points on the journey.

develop existing and new skills

Learners should be provided with the opportunities to attend classes, taught sessions and workshops that respond to the identification of development needs. The Skills Development unit could provide the core teaching content for the course as a whole but will need to encourage a real sense of ownership on the part of the learner. Learners should be encouraged to use the portfolio to include work from other sources. In this way, the unit could be as much about delivering an attitude to continuous development as it is about the teaching of new skills.

evaluate skills development

Monitoring by learners will underpin the way in which learners extend existing skills and acquire new ones and so strategies for monitoring, evaluation and amending the plan should be put in place at the outset. This should involve the development of suitable documentation as well as the encouragement of regular reflection and review. Part of the taught session could be dedicated to the writing up of the content and a response to a set of questions. Recording equipment should be made available to learners as a matter of routine so that they can make regular recordings of on-going practical work as well as milestone assessments and performances.

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sUggested assessment sCenarios and gUidanCe on assessment

assessment and grading Criterion p1

To achieve P1 learners should produce a series of audits and lists that relate to the levels they have achieved in a range of skills. This could be a general exploration in response to pro-forma provided by teachers. It could relate to a specific musical instrument or the range of skills inherent in Dance as an overall artform. The point is to produce the working documents and groundwork necessary for targets and plans projecting forward. Learners could also produce written evidence of how they have responded to initial induction workshops and baseline assessments. The audit evidence could therefore be in two stages: at the entry to the course and after a short induction process.

assessment and grading Criteria p2

Learners could provide documentary evidence that best suits their targets and plan. For instance targets could be shown in spreadsheets and timelines and on A2 sheets on the wall to provide constant reminders. Smaller, more manageable versions could also be produced in logs and notebooks to be referred to in class and on reflection. To achieve P2 learners should show a response to the needs analysis outlined in the audit. There should be evidence of realistic and sustainable target-setting.

assessment and grading Criteria p3, m1, d1

Evidence for this criterion will need to reflect ownership of the skills development journey by the learner. Learners could keep individual logs and portfolios that reflect this owned journey. There could also be evidence of rehearsals, taught classes, workshops with visiting companies and professionals and visits to seen productions. DVD diaries and recordings could be used to show developmental stages and the incremental acquisition of new skills. Observations could be made by suitably qualified professionals outside of the centre.

To achieve P3 learners should produce evidence of their exploration of material in skills workshops, classes and demonstrations of techniques within the course.

M1 should be awarded if learners are producing evidence that further opportunities for developing skills and techniques have been explored.

D1 should be awarded if learners take part in external workshops, classes and demonstrations that produce evidence of substantial additional skills development.

assessment and grading Criteria p4, m2, d2

There should be a portfolio of evidence of the learner’s involvement in a wide range of learning and developmental practical activities. Evidence could also consist of observations, witness statements and professional judgements that give technical assessments of the development of the existing and new skills of the learner.

To achieve P4 learners should produce written and practical evidence demonstrating that they have reached an improved level of competence in existing skills and techniques.

M2 should be awarded if, as well as improving existing skills, learners have developed new skills and techniques to a competent level.

D2 should be awarded if the candidate has developed an accomplished artistic practice combining existing and new skills.

assessment and grading Criteria p5, m3, d3

On-going monitoring and commentaries responding to initial targets and plan could provide the basis of the evidence for this criterion. Learners should also provide summative and critical evaluations at key times in the process. The portfolio of evidence should have appropriate use of technical performing arts terminology and language.

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Skills Development in Performing Arts Level 3 Unit 1

To achieve P5 learners should produce accounts and commentaries of their development progress. These should use the audit and benchmarks as a starting point and chart the journey in some detail using some technical performing arts language. M3 should be awarded if learners go beyond describing their work and progress and begin to use evaluative language, looking at strengths and weaknesses and having a clarity and honesty about their skills and what they are likely to achieve.

D3 should be awarded if there is a clear critical analysis in the understanding of the way their skills have developed and the process by which new skills have been assimilated into them. This will involve a meticulous account of the journey with full use of technical performing arts terminology.

assessment and grading Criteria p6

To achieve P6 there should be evidence of amendments and adaptations that respond to the progress of the skills development. Previous drafts of plans could be kept as appendices to the portfolio. Key transformational moments in the journey could be highlighted by commentaries and annotation. The development of contemporaneous note-taking should be encouraged in this context.

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links to nos

CCsdl 22 research identify and resource your continuing professional development

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